Historicist the shawl Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Historicist the shawl - Essay Example The Nuremburg Laws prohibited Jews for marrying non-Jews, made it illegal for a Jew to own a radio, bicycle, or business, and requiring them to wear a yellow Star of David on all their clothing and outerwear. One survivor described it as â€Å"yellow as the Star sewn onto Rosa’s overcoat† (Ozick, 3). This forced every Jew to adopt a Jewish element their personality creating a collective identity for all European Jews, before being isolated in a ghetto or camp. The Shawl, many Jews felt trapped because of neighbor actions. Rosa did not want to chance giving her child to a stranger, despite the child’s Aryan appearance (Orick, 3). Jews became pariahs under Nazi rule. Harsh penalties were handed down to people gave comfort to Jews, even death. No citizen, save a few brave souls, tried to help the Jews under Nazi rule. The collective identity created propaganda making the non-Jewish turn on Jewish neighbors they had previously lived with in peace. After creating a collective identity it was easier to move the Jews into ghettos and camps. With the exception of a small percent, all Jews were moved into ghettos, and then moved to camps. A few Jews escaped through the help of Aryans, but many more were killed before reaching the ghetto. The deportation to ghettos was a transit point with the end of the line being a camp. By creating the illusion that Jews were sub-human, Nazis could isolate masses in ghettos and camps. Due to the Jewish collective identity, it was easier for Nazis to persecute all Jews in the Third Reich. One survivor explains â€Å"‘not all victims were Jews, but all Jews were victims’† (UN). Using propaganda against the Jews, Germans and non-Jews felt that it was not wrong to exterminate Jews. Those who did feel any guilt about the way Jews were treated buried that emotion under fear of what the